abscissa
[ ab-sis-uh ]
/ æbˈsɪs ə /
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noun, plural ab·scis·sas, ab·scis·sae [ab-sis-ee]. /æbˈsɪs i/. Mathematics.
(in plane Cartesian coordinates) the x-coordinate of a point: its distance from the y-axis measured parallel to the x-axis.
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Compare ordinate.
Origin of abscissa
Words nearby abscissa
Abscam, abscess, abscind, abscise, abscisic acid, abscissa, abscission, abscission layer, abscission zone, abscond, abscondee
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British Dictionary definitions for abscissa
abscissa
/ (æbˈsɪsə) /
noun plural -scissas or -scissae (-ˈsɪsiː)
the horizontal or x -coordinate of a point in a two-dimensional system of Cartesian coordinates. It is the distance from the y -axis measured parallel to the x -axisCompare ordinate
Word Origin for abscissa
C17: New Latin, originally linea abscissa a cut-off line
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Scientific definitions for abscissa
abscissa
[ ăb-sĭs′ə ]
Plural abscissas abscissae (ăb-sĭs′ē)
The distance of a point from the y-axis on a graph in the Cartesian coordinate system. It is measured parallel to the x-axis. For example, a point having coordinates (2,3) has 2 as its abscissa. Compare ordinate.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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